National Prices Topped 2011 Record

Connecticut motorists paid the fourth highest price per gallon of gas in 2012, according to AAA.

In the continental United States, Connecticut ranked second highest.

Gas prices in the state averaged $3.90, 30 cents higher than the national average of $3.60 per gallon. National prices topped the previous record set in 2011 when prices averaged $3.51 a gallon.

Hawaii posted the highest prices for 2012, at $4.31, followed by Alaska, $4.09, and California, $4.03. Connecticut tied with New York the fourth highest gas prices.

The main reason for Connecticut's high ranking is the state's gas taxes, which amount to about 47 cents per gallon from both a flat excise tax and a 7.5 percent gross receipts tax, according to Gene Guilford, president of the Connecticut Energy Marketers Association.

Other factors like "major hurricanes, refinery outages and tension in the Middle East resulted in significant frustration for people filling up their cars in Connecticut and nationwide," said AAA spokesman Aaron Kupec in a statement.

Over the summer, gas prices in Connecticut topped California to be the highest in the continental United States. Motorists paid the most in late-summer, when prices hit $4.16, said Kupec. A shift from summer-blend fuel to winter-blend fuel dropped prices about 5 cents per gallon.

Hurricane Sandy actually shaved a few cents off gas prices, Kupec said. As the storm crimped supply in the Mid-Atlantic for weeks, it pushed more supply through Connecticut, he said.

The motorist organization predicts increased crude production and lower demand will push prices lower in 2013.